Newcastle University School of Engineering CEG2004 - Design of Sustainable Engineering Systems Design Brief 2023-24 Description of the Module The Design of Sustainable Engineering Systems module runs through both semesters

of Stage 2 and has a value of 20 credits. The aim of the module can be summed up as "joined up design". The project will involve not only engineering design (e.g. ground investigation, hydraulics/drainage, monitoring, structural design, transport), but also the process of selecting a preferred option to an engineering task, taking into account a wide range of related disciplines including environmental impact, economics, social acceptability, health and safety. The project may also require input from specialists in other disciplines such as agriculture, architecture, planning, archaeology, and ecology. The Design Challenge Newcastle City Council has published an ambitious Green Infrastructure Delivery Framework to promote physical and mental health and wellbeing amongst the residents of the city, enhance biodiversity, assist with water and flood management, adapt and build resilience to climate change, and boost economic development and investment. Your client is a consortium of stakeholders led by a local charity which is based in the north of England that wishes to establish a bluegreen corridor through Newcastle City along the river Ouseburn. The consortium is keen to maximize the corridor's multiple benefits for flood risk mitigation, stormwater treatment, biodiversity, and public recreation. Via this corridor, the consortium wishes to better connect the diverse communities living along the the river Ouseburn with each other and nature. You are to take the role of Civil Engineering Consultants advising the client on a suitable solution. The client envisages that the proposed solutions to become a international exemplar for nature-led urban regeneration opportunities. Your proposed solutions should: be the outcome of an iterative, creative process that considers benefits and limitations of alternatives before identifying the final proposal; demonstrate mastery of scientific principles and knowledge of innovative technologies like the latest advances in sensors and information technology; demonstrate multi-criteria analysis and decision making to achieve systems level integration and synergies; be sensitive of the needs of future generations by being both resilient and adaptable to change over time; be in line with the United Nation's sustainable development goals. You will conduct your study in two phases. Phase 1 (Semester 1) will be delivering a report to the client providing a critical analysis of the status quo along the river Ouseburn and identifying opportunities for improvements. Phase 2 (Semester 2) will be exhibiting to the client a detailed design proposal for re-establishing wetlands on marginal agricultural land to extend the bluegreen corridor from the river towards a nature reserve. Design components will include new stormwater retention ponds in these wetlands to retain and clean surface water runoff from urban areas, a bridge over a major road to improve connectivity with cycling routes/footpaths, a boardwalk over the wetlands towards an observation platform and viewing tower, a green travel plan for visitors of the newly established wetlands, and a continuous water quality monitoring station that records the stormwater treatment benefits of the newly constructed wetlands. Phase 1 (Semester 1) Critical Analysis of the Status Quo to Identify Opportunities for Improvement Like all urban spaces, the catchment of the Ouseburn from Source to Tyne is shaped by a rich history of development going back to ancient times, including many remarkable civil engineering feats. The aim at stage 1 is to identify the benefits and limitations of the existing urban infrastructures along the river Ouseburn and thereby to define opportunities and innovative ideas for further development. Phase 1 Tasks: You should work as a team to 1. Assess the sustainability (environmental, economic, and social) of current urban drainage solutions implemented in the Ouseburn catchment in northeast England with respect to their - impacts on flood risk vulnerabilities, river ecology, and recreational opportunities - operational and maintenance needs. Your critical analysis should refer to Combined sewer systems like those serving the Redhouse Farm or Longbenton areas of Newcastle. Separated drainage systems like those serving the Kingston Park area of Newcastle. Sustainable urban drainage systems like those implemented at Great Park and in the Killingworth-Longbenton water management scheme. 2. Assess the sustainability (environmental, economic, and social) of current mobility solutions for travel alongside and access to the Ouseburn with respect to their - connectivity and accessibility for diverse communities & - operational and maintenance requirements, including inspection of roads and bridges. Your critical analysis should refer to Footpaths for pedestrians like those in Jesmond Dene Park Cycle routes like existing and proposed routes along the Ouseburn between Killingworth and the Tyne Bus and metro links like those serving bus stops near Jesmond Dene Park along the A1058, Freeman Rd, and Jesmond Dene Rd/Matthew Banks, and metro stops at Illford Rd and South Gosforth Access roads like Ouseburn Rd, Benton Bank, Red Walk, Jesmond Dene Rd, Freeman Rd, and Castles Farm Rd In assessing these drainage and mobility options, you should consider a wide range of relevant issues including, but not limited to: Environmental - Impacts on pollution and biodiversity in the city, and the Newcastle City Council ambition to become net zero carbon by 2040; Social - Impacts on the quality of life of residents in the surrounding communities and accommodation of diverse community needs in the context of changing city demographics; Economic - Operation and maintenance costs, incl. their implications for the costs of living, such water bills, mobility costs, and council tax; opportunities for generating income for maintenance of the bluegreen corridor from recreational activities along the bluegreen corridor. Phase 1 deliverables: Your team should produce a coherent Technical Report for the client with normal A4 page layout/margins, Calibri font and minimal font size 11. The report should include the following elements: Title page, with list of authors and their signatures, report ID, and date Executive summary, 300 words, on a separate page without a page number Table of contents, on a separate page Introduction, describing the context and motivation for the work, up to 1 page Methodology, describing your literature search and analysis approach, up to 2 pages Results, describing Your assessment of the status quo that includes two tables as outlined below and the accompanying explanatory text up to 5 pages Table 1: Caption Environmental Social Economic Table 2: Caption Environmental Social Economic Strengths Weaknesses Strengths Weaknesses Strengths Weaknesses Strengths Weaknesses Strengths Weaknesses Strengths Weaknesses Combined sewers - Keyword 1 - Keyword 2 Footpaths - Keyword 1 - Keyword 2 Separated drainage systems Cycle routes Bus and metro links SuDs Access roads Your assessment of opportunities for improvements that incl. two tables and a map/figure as outlined below and accompanying explanatory text, up to 5 pages Figure 1: Caption A map showing the locations of the 10 improvement opportunities (5 for urban drainage and 5 for accessibility/connectivity improvements). Table 3: Caption Top five urban drainage improvement opportunities Opportunity 1 Opportunity 2 Opportunity 3 Opportunity 4 Opportunity 5 Table 4: Caption Top five accessibility improvement opportunities Opportunity 1 Opportunity 2 Opportunity 3 Opportunity 4 Opportunity 5 Coordinates Easting/Northing Coordinates Easting/Northing Synopsis - Keyword 1 - Keyword 2 Synopsis - Keyword 1 - Keyword 2 Conclusions, summarizing the insights gained from your analysis, up to 1 page Appendix, consisting of up to 10 hand-draw sketches (which should be referenced in your main text to illustrate key arguments) and copies of the agenda and notes from your three time-tabled semester 1 team meetings in the Herschel Learning Lab. List of references A list of all literature sources that you cite in your report. Team structure and meetings: Roles: To organize the team, a chair and deputy, a notary and deputy, an editor and deputy, and proof reader and deputy, are elected at the outset (8 roles in total). The role of the chair, with the support of the deputy, is to guide the efforts of the team, to ensure that tasks are allocated appropriately among team members, and to ensure that satisfactory progress is being made towards (internal and external) deadlines. The role of the notary, with the support of the deputy, is to prepare and share an agenda and notes for each team meeting. The role of the editor, with the support of the deputy, is to assure that all the team deliverables are prepared in a coherent way and strictly in accordance with the guidance. The role of proof-reader and deputy is to assure that all the team deliverables are double checked for correct grammar, calculations, citations, and formatting before the submission. In addition to these specific roles, all team members are expected to equally contribute to the information gathering and content of the report. You need to prepare an agenda and notes for each of the three time-tabled semester 1 team meetings in the Herschel Learning Lab, to be included in the appendix of your report. Outline for an agenda: - Date and time of the meeting Venue of the meeting List of people who were invited to the meeting Review of progress on actions agreed at the previous meeting Points for discussion at the meeting AOB Outline for meeting notes: Date and time of the meeting List of people who attended the meeting List of people who have sent their apologies before the meeting List of people who were absent without sending their apologies Review of progress against previously agreed actions in tabular format List of actions agreed at the meeting, including incomplete actions carried forward from previous meetings Site visit: A site visit to the Ouseburn will be organized by the School and provide opportunity to prepare the sketches needed for the appendix of the report. All team members are expected to attend this field trip.